Mahakatha
M 80% OFF

Chapter 1 · Verse 20 · Arjuna Visada Yoga

Bhagavad Gita 1.20

urgent Dharma & Duty Karma & Action Fear & Courage

Sanskrit

अथ व्यवस्थितान् दृष्ट्वा धार्तराष्ट्रान्कपिध्वजः। प्रवृत्ते शस्त्रसंपाते धनुरुद्यम्य पाण्डवः।।1.20।।

Transliteration

atha vyavasthitān dṛiṣhṭvā dhārtarāṣhṭrān kapi-dhwajaḥ pravṛitte śhastra-sampāte dhanurudyamya pāṇḍavaḥ hṛiṣhīkeśhaṁ tadā vākyam idam āha mahī-pate

हिंदी अर्थ

तब पाण्डव अर्जुन ने धार्तराष्ट्रों की सेना को व्यवस्थित देखकर, बाणों की वर्षा शुरू होने से पहले अपना धनुष उठा लिया। कपिध्वज (बंदर के झंडे वाले) अर्जुन ने युद्ध के लिए तैयारी करते हुए अपना प्रसिद्ध धनुष उठा लिया।

Word by Word

atha thereupon
vyavasthitān arrayed
dṛiṣhṭvā seeing
dhārtarāṣhṭrān Dhritarashtra’s sons
kapi-dwajaḥ the Monkey Bannered
pravṛitte about to commence
śhastra-sampāte to use the weapons
dhanuḥ bow
udyamya taking up
pāṇḍavaḥ Arjun, the son of Pandu
hṛiṣhīkeśham to Shree Krishna
tadā at that time
vākyam words
idam these
āha said
mahī-pate King
Simplified Perspective

This is the trembling threshold—the moment before action, when Arjuna beholds his enemies arrayed and takes up his bow. The Gita has brought us here deliberately, to show us that knowledge without the crucible of choice is merely philosophy.

Arjuna's action of raising the bow is not violence; it is surrender to what dharma demands of him. When we face our own impossible choices, we too must lift our bow—not with ego, but with a heart asking Krishna what truth requires of us now.

Listen

Bhagavad Gita 1.20 — BG 1.20

0:00
Sanskrit text from the Bhagavad Gita (public domain). Commentary © Mahakatha.

Your Mantra Prescription

This mantra is prescribed for clarity and purpose. Is that what you're going through?

2.2M people trust Mahakatha